News, Honda CEO Says Civic Hybrid was a Mistake. (first vehicle, hybrid car, fuel)

[JD59]

Honda Civic Hybrid

Honda CR-Z hybrid conceptHonda admits that it took a wrong turn with the Civic Hybrid


When most people think of hybrid automobiles, Toyota's quirky Prius is usually the first vehicle to come to mind. The mid-size hatchback continues to dominate the hybrid sales charts and remains Toyota's third best-selling car behind the Camry and Corolla/Matrix.

Many attribute the Prius' success to its unorthodox shape, its remarkable fuel economy, relatively inexpensive price for a mid-sized vehicle and Toyota's perceived bulletproof reliability. Honda, on the other hand, has sat on the sidelines with its failed Insight 2-passenger hybrid and Accord Hybrid. The company's only other hybrid, the Civic Hybrid, has fallen far behind Toyota's shining star in sales.


http://www.dailytech.com/Honda+CEO+S...ticle10147.htm

[SunnyKayak]

If Honda wanted to compete against the prius they should have brought back the crx as a hybrid car. That one fun car to drive even though I am not a fan of egg shape cars.

[Drover]

Honda's big mistake was not making the Civic hybrid visually distinctive from a standard Civic. The Prius didn't sell that well either when it looked identical to the Toyota Echo. But now that the Prius has its own distinct shape and has no "conventional" counterpart, there's no mistaking a Prius for a non-hybrid car -- and let's face it, buying a hybrid is almost as much about striking a moralistic pose and looking green as it is about being green. (It's funny to watch celebrities who live in 10,000 sqft mansions and who jet around the country show up to movie premiers and award shows in Priuses. ) The Prius gives people an opportunity to display their greenness outwardly in a way that a Civic hybrid does not.

[doc1]

Originally Posted by Drover

.... and let's face it, buying a hybrid is almost as much about striking a moralistic pose and looking green as it is about being green. (It's funny to watch celebrities who live in 10,000 sqft mansions and who jet around the country show up to movie premiers and award shows in Priuses. ) The Prius gives people an opportunity to display their greenness outwardly in a way that a Civic hybrid does not.

You're probably right on the money with that opinion

[Bob The Builder]

Originally Posted by doc1

You're probably right on the money with that opinion

My brother bought a Prius about 4 years ago to drive to his twin diesel boat that gets 1MPG.